title: Relation between electrophysiological findings and diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As only a limited number of studies have used diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE), the present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of the non-invasive DWI technique in patients with UNE.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 26 elbows in 19 healthy controls (age range: 22-56 years) with no symptoms and 24 elbows in 21 symptomatic patients (age range: 21-46 years) with cubital tunnel syndrome underwent DWI. The electrophysiological and clinical criteria for the diagnosis of UNE were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No pathological signal from the ulnar nerve was detected in the healthy controls, whereas there was an increase in signals on DWI in all patients with UNE. On T2-weighted (T2W) imaging, there was increased signal intensity in 20 elbows, while low signal intensity was observed in the remaining four. A positive correlation was found between disease duration and presence of hyperintensity (P=0.044, r=0.42) on T2W images.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DWI can be used together with electrophysiological methods for the diagnosis of UNE. Furthermore, DWI might be preferred in some cases, as it is non-invasive compared with the electrophysiological method for UNE diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Siirt State Hospital, Department of Neurology, Siirt, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.forename: Murat Serhat
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aygun
authors.forename: Mehmet Ugur
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Cevik
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: Sefer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varol
authors.forename: Adalet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arıkanoglu
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onder
authors.forename: Ertugrul
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Uzar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D017769:Ulnar Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diffusion magnetic resonance; Electrophysiology; Ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy